Antibacterial laundry oil and dust control oil composition

ABSTRACT

A LAUNDARY OIL CONTAINING 0.015 TO 2.0% OF A 1,2-BENZISOTHIAZOLONE AS AN ANTIBACTERIAL AGENT AND THE PROCESS OF LAUNDERING MOPS AND OTHER FABRICS USED TO WIPE DUST WITH SUCH OIL.

United 1 tented June 19, 1973 ANTIBACTERIAL LAUNDRY OIL AND DUST CONTROL OIL COMPOSITION Richard E. Ware, Trainer, Pa., assignor to Sun Oil Company of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa. No Drawing. Filed Oct. 1., 1971, Ser. No. 185,851 Int. Cl. B08c 3/.00

U.S. Cl. 8-137 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A laundry oil containing 0.015 to 2.0% of a 1,2-benzisothiazolone as an antibacterial agent and the process of laundering mops and other fabrics used to Wipe dust with such oil.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a new laundry oil composition containing a bactericide which is suitable for use in a combination oiling-laundering process, the process of laundering fabrics with this new laundry oil composition and the fabrics impregnated with the new laundry oil composition.

In the past oiled fabrics such as mops, dust cloths, walk-on mats, etc., have found widespread use due to their improved effectiveness in removing dust as compared with similar fabrics which have not been oiled. General practice has been to launder the soiled fabric using conventional water and a detergent or soap laundering followed by re-oiling of the fabric. More recently a process of laundering the soiled fabrics by immersing them in a clean warm (150-180 F.) laundry oil which is circulated past the fabrics to remove the soil has been developed. The soil particles are then removed from the laundry oil by filtration. The process offers numerous advantages such as reduced wear on the fabrics during laundering and in reduced pollution since there is no detergent and oil removed during laundering to be disposed of. However, the bactericides previously used in the fabric impregnating oils have proven to be unsatisfactory for use in the new laundering oil impregnating process.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The fabrics which are conventionally impregnated with oil to aid in collecting dust include dust mops, dust cloths and walk-on rugs or mats. These fabrics are impregnated with oil so that when they are passed over a surface they will pick up and retain the dust and dirt on that surface. While there is little possibility of redepositing the dirt from one surface onto another surface being cleaned, there is a chance that microorganisms might be transferred. To deter such a transfer a bactericide is incorporated into the oil composition. There is almost always some moisture adsorbed on the surface of the dirt particles and it is this aqueous medium which contains microorganisms. Therefore, it is important that therebe a migration from the oil impregnant in a dust control fabric to this aqueous phase in order to kill bacteria. Thus the laundry oil must contain within itself a miscible component which also can eifectively migrate to the hydrous dirt particles. Water solubility and hydrocarbon miscibility are generally incompatible properties except through the use of coupling agents and in fact the imparting of antibacterial activity to an oil for this type of application has generally been regarded as not feasible.

It should be pointed out that oil alone reduces growth of most bacteria because it isolates them from their nutrient sources in the aqueous phase and also extracts vital components from their structures. However, the present invention is not concerned about such passive destruction of bacteria but rather a composition which actively destroys bacteria in dirt or aqueous phases in contact with the oil. Thus when a disc of fabric impregnated with the oil composition of the present invention is placed on a nutrient medium having a bacteria culture growing thereon the bacteria are killed not only under the disc of fabric but also in a ring around the fabric disc which ring is several mm. wide. This is known as bacteriostatic activity Many of the usual bactericides such as ortho-phenyl phenol have been found to be ineffective for the present purpose in the concentrations desired. The salts of these compounds, such as sodium o-phenylphenate, would enhance bacteriostatic activity, but the metal salts are immiscible in hydrocarbon oils. The bactericide also must not give off noxious fumes because the operator removing the fabrics from the processing equipment will be exposed to such fumes. Thus formaldehyde, although it is quite active, is unsatisfactory. Other bactericides such as phenyl mercury oleate are unsatisfactory for the present purpose because they are too toxic to man.

It has now been found that the 1,2-benzisothiazolones overcome all of the above-stated problems and impart satisfactory bacterial properties to laundry oils. These compounds are used in amounts of from 0.015 to 2.0% as based on the total composition. While larger amounts can be used if desired they are unnecessary. The 1,2-benzisothiazolones used in the present invention are described in US. Pat. No. 3,065,123, issued Nov. 20, 19 62 to A. I. Hinton et al. Generally these compounds have the formula:

wherein R stands for a hydrogen or halogen atom, or a water soluble salt of such 1,2-benzisothiazolone. As examples of halogen atoms which may be represented by R are chlorine and bromine, and as examples of water soluble salts of 1,2-benzisothiazolones which may be used in the present invention are salts with alkali metals such as sodium or potassium or with ammonia or amines such as triethanolamine. Suitable 1,2-benzisothiazolones which may be used as free compounds or as salts include S-chloro-1,2-benzisothiazolone and 5-bromo-1,2-benzisothiazolone, but it is preferred to use 1,2-benzisothiazolone itself as this compound is a more powerful agent for this control of microorganisms. This material is quite effective against microorganisms although it has a very low toxicity to mammals. Taken dermally in rats the LD =2 gms./ kgrn. In the amounts used herein the 1:2-benzisothiazolones are relatively non-toxic.

The base oils of the present invention are mineral oils and can be either parafli'nic or naphthenic. Generally they have a viscosity of from 60 to 600 SUS at F., with from 100-300 SUS at 100 F. being the preferred range.

Preferably the laundry oils of the present invention contain a dispersant to assist in removing aqueous soil from the dirty articles being cleaned. Generally the preferred dispersants are salts of alkyl sulfonates or salts of alkyl benzene sulfonates. In either case the molecular weight generally is from 300 to 600. The alkali metal salts are preferred. Generally from 0.5 to 3.0% as based on the total composition of the dispersant is used.

The laundry oil preferably contains an antioxidant in an amount of from 0.01 to 0.5% as based on the total composition. Butylated hydroxy toluene is a preferred antioxidant.

The laundry oil also preferably contains an odorant to impart a fresh clean smell thereto. Alpine 16951, a

complex mixture of essential oils and aromatics supplied by Alipen Aromatics, 'Inc. of Metuchen, N.J., is exemplary of preferred odorants. Generally from 0.02 to 0.2% as based on the total composition is used.

The composition of the present invention is also useful as a conventional oil fabric impregnant.

EXAMPLE I Fifty dirty mops are charged to a conventional laundry wheel having a 150 lb. capacity which is connected by piping to an oil reservoir, an oil filter and a heat exchanger. Clean warm oil (165 F.) is continuously circulated from the reservoir into the laundry wheel containing the dirty mops and then through the filter back to the reservoir at a rate of g. per min. while the laundry wheel is operated. The oil level is half way up in the laundry wheel. The laundry oil contains 97.7% of a nonstaining naphthenic mineral oil having a viscosity of 104 SUS 100 F. and 38 SUS 210 F., 2.0% of Sunad E-0712" a commercial sodium sulfonate dispersant having a molecular weight of 440-470, 0.1% butylated hydroxy toluene (antioxidant), 0.1% of Alpine 16951 odorant, and 0.023% of 1,2-benzisothiazolone (antibacterial agent). After 30 minutes the oil is pumped out of the laundry wheel without recirculating it. The mops are then spun dry for 12 minutes and then are manu ally unloaded from the apparatus. The cleaned mops contain 35 to 40 weight percent oil but are dry to the touch and appear in excellent condition.

EXAMPLE II A sample of 97.8% oil of Example I, 2.0% sodium alkyl aryl sulfonates, 0.03% Alpine 16951 odorant and 0.1% butylated hydroxy toluene is prepared and various antibacterial agents are added at the 0.1% level, and the samples tested for bacteriostatic activity on both E. coli (gram and S. aureus (gram in accordance with AATCC901965, which is an agar plate test developed by the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorants. The 1,2-benzisothiazolones of the present invention are the only bacterial agents of those listed below having significant antibacterial activity on both organisms. The others are: o-phenylphenol; hexahydro- 1,3,S-triethyl-S-triazine; monoethyl ether of ethylene glycol; B-bromo-B-nitrostyrene; hexahydro-1,3,5-tris(2-hy droxyethyl-Striazine); benzoic acid; 2,3,4,6-tetrachlorophenol; butyl carbitol; ethylene glycol; tetrahydroacenaphthene; hexachlorophene; glutaraldehyde, propyl parahydroxy benzoic acid; tributyl trioxide; 2,4-pentanedione; n-nitrophenol; disodium ethylene bis-dithiocarbamate; bis- (2-hydroxy-5-chlorophenyl)sulfide; 4-brornoacetoxymethylene-m-dioxolane; hexetidine; myristyl dimethylbenzyl ammonium chloride; p-tertiary amyl phenol. When subjected to the above test but substituting 0.023% by weight of 1,2-benzisothiazolone as the antibacterial agent in the laundry oil composition a clear zone of 8.5 mm. on E. coli and 14.5 mm. on S. aureus is obtained. When subjected to the above test but substituting 0.046% by weight of 1,2-benzisothiazolone as the antibacterial agent in the laundry oil composition a clear zone of 11.5 mm. on E. coli and 18.5 mm. on S. aureus is obtained.

The invention claimed is:

1. A dust control fabric impregnated with a composi-, tion comprising a major portion of a naphthenic or par atfinic oil and from about 0.015 to about 2% as based on the total composition of a 1,2-benzoisothiazolone of the formula s R l \NH RA IS\NH wherein R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, chlorine, and bromine, and water soluble salts thereof, causing a flow of said oil composition with respect to said fabric whereby said oil composition removes soil particles from said fabric, and said soil particles are removed from said oil by filtration.

5. The process of claim 4 wherein R is hydrogen and the free 1,2-benzisothiazolone is used.

6. The process of claim 5 wherein the fabric is in the form of a mop.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,125,487 3/1964 Hutchinson 202l06 3,522,265 7/1970 Klesper et a1. 202l06 X 3,065,123 11/1962 Hinton et al. 162l61 3,668,133 6/1972 Ijiri et a1 202l06 X 3,391,079 7/1968 Greenblatt 252-88 X 3,200,036 8/1965 Greenblatt 20288 X 3,577,215 5/1971 Impullitti 8-137 2,709,665 5/1955 Campbell et al. 20288U X MAYER WEINBLATT, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

